I lost my dad in 2006, right after my 18th birthday. It is a daily struggle to cope with the loss, the guilt, the anger and the sadness that accompanies losing someone by their own hand. The phrase “You are not alone” often appears as encouragement on posters, pamphlets and similar materials aimed at people suffering from depression, mental illness or addiction. What I did not realize until participating in AFSP’s Overnight Walk was that that this is also an important message for the survivors of those who have lost someone to suicide.

When I mentioned to colleagues at VOX that I was planning to participate, I was overwhelmed by the support and thrilled that my office mates Hilary Kirwan and Kate Miller volunteered to join me as they, too, were touched by what AFSP hopes to accomplish.  At the start site, volunteers distributed beads, each color representing a relationship with the person you lost to suicide. I wore gold (loss of a parent) and purple (loss of a friend). Before that moment, I had never really encountered another person who had lost a parent to suicide.  Suddenly, I was surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of people who knew what I had gone through.

Melissa d’Arabian, the host of “Ten Dollar Dinners” on the Food Network, started the evening by sharing the experience of losing her mother to suicide. She talked about how that day was both a blur and as vivid as if it had happened yesterday; how 20 years later she could still remember every word of the phone call from the police, but in the hours that followed feeling paralyzed, like she had left her own body. I had never heard anyone else voice those feelings; it was as if she was on stage reading a diary of my thoughts, not relating her own.

As I passed others along the 16-mile walk with gold necklaces, we started exchanging stories, exchanging reactions, and exchanging tears. I encountered one girl who had also gotten part of her dad’s suicide note as a tattoo in his handwriting (hers was a line from his letter “I‘m always with you”, mine is my dad’s closing “Love always, Daddy”.)  I have done a lot of things to aid my healing process, and with the exception of visiting my dad’s grave for the first time, this was the most cathartic experience I have had in the last seven years.

In a time when medical technology is doing much to prolong our lives, the rate of people taking their own lives continue to skyrocket. Today, more people die from suicide than are killed in automobile accidents. Suicide is often associated with teenagers, but the fastest growing rate is among baby boomers. Over the last ten years, suicide in people aged 35-64 rose 30%.  The suicide rate among men in their 50s rose 50%, and the rate among women in their 60s rose sixty percent.

Most people suffering from depression do not seek counseling. The stigma that surrounds seeking help – that you must be crazy or weak or both – is fading ever so slowly, but it still exists. When people ask how my dad died, I tell them the truth. The truth is that mental illness—like heart disease, cancer, or arthritis—isn’t always something you’re born with.  It can be something that develops over time. There’s no shame in seeking medical help or taking medicine to treat physical conditions.  Why should there for a mental illness?

AFSP is fighting to lift the shame associated with mental illness and, for survivors, suicide. What I love most about AFSP isn’t that it promotes acceptance and transparency, or that it advocates for better policies, or that it functions as a research organization, or a hotline, or a support group. It is that it does all of those things and more. It is truly dedicated to finding solutions to mental disorders and bringing suicide “into the light.”

Thanks to the hard work of the 2000+ participants and sponsors like VOX Global, over $2.6 million was raised in this year’s walkathon for suicide prevention and awareness, making it the most successful fundraiser since its inception in 2002. For more information on AFSP or suicide prevention, click here. To see how VOX is helping organizations committed to increasing awareness of and access to mental health services, click here.

During the past few years, VOX has noticed an increase in the number of people and organizations calling for a longer term approach by the investment and analyst community when it comes to valuating companies. The belief that the continued focus on short term, quarterly analyst calls impedes a company’s ability to plan for and integrate into their business strategy the impact that population increases and risks associated from climate change will have on them in the near future. While some in the investment community—like the SRI—have been calling for a more long-term approach for quite some time, we believe that increasingly more traditional investors and analysts are beginning to also recognize the need as well.  To test this assumption, VOX looked at three media outlets that these types of investors and analysts go to for information on companies—Seeking Alpha, Bloomberg and Business Insider.

METHODOLOGY AND GOAL

The research technique employed was a sweep in each outlet using the terms “ESG,” “sustainable investing,” “sustainable investment,” and “social governance.” Separately, we also searched for the phrase “climate change” in the same three outlets for the same time period. The goal of the research was twofold:

•  Determine if there was a noticeable spike in coverage on these issues since 2011
• Analyze the stories to determine if they were supportive or dismissive of the need for a more long-term approach

 DATA

Figure 1

Analysis of Story Trends

As Figure 1 shows, there has been an increase in the frequency of stories on this topic since 2011.  Business Insider has seen the greatest number of stories on this topic.  While Bloomberg and Seeking Alpha did not have the frequency of stories as Business Insider, both showed increases in coverage.  It is also interesting that Seeking Alpha has nearly eclipsed the number of stories this year over the total for 2012.

Figure 2

Bloomberg data is not included because the search produced over 3,000 results that could not be sorted through due to sensitive time considerations in the production of this report.

Frequency  of “Climate Change” Related Stories

The “climate change” search was separated from the other search terms because we thought there might be too many stories on this phrase and did not want to skew the results.  There were indeed a significant number of stories on this topic in both Business Insider and Bloomberg—and as the note below the Figure 2 indicates—we did not chart Bloomberg because there were over 3,000 results and no easy way to distinguish which year they appeared.  And, while Seeking Alpha had a very limited number of stories on this topic, it also showed an increase in the number of stories that have appeared since 2011.

Content Analysis 

The final analysis takes a look at the direction of the articles–were they generally supportive or dismissive of a more long-term approach.  Overall, the stories that appeared in all three outlets tended to be supportive of a more long-term approach.

Representative of the type of coverage that appeared in Bloomberg were these articles–Sustainable and Responsible Investing Goes Mainstream reported that sustainable and responsible investing (SRI) is gaining momentum, transitioning from niche to mainstream investing. Top Investors Will Feel Heat of New Epoch poses a series of questions like “What if there is a future that demands that an investor change course or at least learn new tricks?” It prods investors to take note of the changing times, ask questions, and prepare for the worst, reading as a call to action. Meanwhile, the outlet’s climate change stories are more matter-of-fact, such as Ignoring Carbon Cost ‘Bad Investment Decision,’ David Blood Says, which encourages companies to recast their investment decisions in energy as long-term economic issues.

Business Insider articles were similar to Bloomberg, but we also noticed that some stories discussed the general lack of understanding of the term “sustainable,” and the tendency to view sustainable as a static idea. It’s Too Easy For Companies And People To Slack On Sustainability examines the term and its use in discussions ranging from business to health and leisure. The tone of the outlet’s climate change stories focused on the emerging risks associated with it.  Investors Are Now Profiting From The Fear Of Climate Change is representative of this story line.

Seeking Alpha’s articles were particularly to-the-point. Do Responsible Companies Make Good Investments? This article reported on the shift in capital from companies with inadequate ESG performance to companies that consider ESG a top priority of their business. It presents investors with opportunities and advice on best practices to harness ESG analytical tools to improve their ESG scores. The outlet’s climate change coverage is more analytical in nature, setting it somewhat apart from Business Insider and Bloomberg. The report, Sense And Nonsense About Climate Change. What Do Investors Need To Know?, analyzes the risks associated with climate change and presents a convincing argument, augmented with recent graphic data, for investors to ratchet up efforts to address climate change to result in an increased pay off in higher investment returns.

CONCLUSION

The preliminary research findings support VOX’s hypothesis that between 2011 and 2013 there was both a noticeable increase in three key media outlets on the coverage of these issues and the content in them tended to be supportive of the need for a more long-term approach by investors and analysts.

Keynote addresses from US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, the New York Times’ Thomas Friedman, and Stanford’s Claude Steele, as well as panels of educators and journalists took on the most pressing issues and trends surrounding both K-12 and higher education today.

 Here is what we learned:

1.  Early education is a wise Investment.

According to James Heckman, an economist who focuses on early childhood education, research shows that students who attend quality early childhood programs live happier, more productive lives. This theory may be behind President Obama’s $75 billion plan to expand early childhood education. According to Secretary Duncan, this would be a wise investment: “For every dollar we invest, we get seven back.”

2.  Expect growing pains in assessing new Common Core standards.

Now that Common Core Standards have been adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia, how do we assess whether the new standards are achieving the intended goal of preparing students for college and careers?  Two multistate consortia were awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Education in 2010 to develop an assessment system aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) by the 2014-15 school year. Will they be ready? Chris Minnich, Executive Director of Council of Chief State School Officers, says yes, but expects growing pains.

3.  MOOCs (massive open online courses) are one of the most debated topics in education.  

While there is wide agreement among education experts and journalists that MOOCs will play a large role in education, opinions differ widely as to how. Secretary Duncan appeared hopeful about the role of MOOCs in helping to control educations costs, but other experts doubt their effectiveness, pointing out that only 10 percent of those who start a MOOC ever finish.  Whether MOOCs become a competitor for traditional higher education institutions remains to be seen. Will MOOCs become accredited? Will colleges accept MOOC credits? If universities don’t decide, the law could decide for them.  Pending legislation in California would force all colleges to grant credit for certain online courses. 

Thomas Friedman responded to a student’s question about the future of MOOCs:  “When you send your child to college, you will have a choice: spend $300,000 on four years of college, or spend $2,500 on a degree from a MOOC.”

4.  Change is coming to traditional higher education degrees.

Traditional higher education degrees may soon be a thing of the past. Unlike a traditional degree, stackable credentials would enable students to demonstrate specific skills. This is already happening in continuing education, but it remains unclear whether it will gain acceptance from employers as a degree replacement.  And, as students are earning their degrees from multiple universities, both on and offline, we will see more “mix and match degrees.”  The question remains: What percent of credits must come from a particular university in order to earn a degree from that university?

 5.  Adaptive learning is an emerging trend in both K-12 and higher education.

Adaptive learning technology that creates highly personalized learning experiences for students is developing and evolving at break-neck speed. This technology will have a significant impact on the way students learn and how teachers teach.

6.  Diversity remains a challenge in education reform.

According to Secretary Arne Duncan, “one of the big challenges to effective school reform is the lack of diversity among teachers.” Only 14 percent of teachers are people of color compared with 40 percent of students.

VOX’s Education Practice Group closely follows the latest trends and issues surrounding education reform. Subscribe to VOX’s daily e-news updates to stay on top of the rapidly evolving world of education.

Learn more about our education practice.

 From Scatter-shot to Laser Focused

Philanthropy professionals manage a pot of money.  It could be huge, it could be quite small.  Either way, too many corporations treat their giving more like candy thrown off a parade float.  Usually this is because their business interests are impacted by many issues, and they feel beholden to fund them all.

They’ll throw some dollars here and there, and see what sticks.

Scattered resources bring scattered results.  Major societal issues – like education, health and climate change – can’t be solved with short term, one-off grants or contributions.  In order to truly move the needle on critical issues, companies must invest in long-term, laser focused initiatives.

There are clear business reasons for linking philanthropic efforts with societal needs.  For example, Nestle supports farmers through agricultural education programs, which result in increased productivity and better quality milk and cocoa.  Exxon Mobil’s philanthropic efforts include creating economic opportunity for women in Africa, in areas important to the production or transportation of their product.  Investing in girls and women’s education and health brings high returns to a community’s development, creating a safer and more stable business environment in which to operate.

In addition to developing core business value, such as supply chain improvement in the above examples, external stakeholders from customers to regulators expect philanthropic efforts to result in true change.  The Public Affairs Council 2012 pulse survey showed that a strong majority of Americans not only desired, but expected companies to be involved in improving communities.

How Companies Can Answer the Call to Action

A good way for philanthropic efforts to meet these growing expectations and bring about shared value to benefit their business and society is through the creation of a Signature Initiative. To truly drive impact and positive change a Signature Initiative should:

1. Be a long term investment (5 years minimum, 10+ years preferred), with flexibility to evolve over time based on initial results
2. Be a significant proportion of a company’s overall giving (more than 50%)
3. Be fully aligned with a company’s core business and/or linked to a clear business objective
4. Be measurable
5. Be meaningful to employees, and include participation from the CEO and key executives

Everyone remembers their first time getting up on a two-wheeler. The fear as you realize your mom or dad’s hand is no longer on your back pushing you along, and the thrill as you wobble your way down the driveway until crashing in a blaze of glory in a nearby prickly bush. However, as we get older, bicycling loses its aura, and we opt to drive rather than bike. That at least was the case for me, until I moved to Washington, DC in the fall and dusted off my dad’s 1986 Ross Signature.

Ever since then, I’ve been cruising the streets of DC enjoying this fast, affordable, environmentally-friendly, and healthy way to move about the city. Biking is a seemingly simple and innocuous activity, yet it’s had an incredible impact on my life.  And now many companies like Clif Bar and the New Belgium Brewery are harnessing the far-reaching benefits of biking as they retool their corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies.

            A well-designed CSR strategy has the two-fold benefit of both attracting the attention of the growing class of conscious consumers who are willing to pay more for goods from a socially responsible company, and helping to save the company money on its bottom line. Last summer, in commemoration of Clif Bar’s 20^th anniversary, the company gave a bike to every Clif Bar employee, inscribed with the company’s logo along with the employee’s name and start date. Watching this video, it is evident that the employees are overjoyed with their new bikes, but looking past this initial excitement, Clif Bar now has a more dedicated and healthy staff. Not to mention, hundreds of smiling employees, riding around the streets of San Francisco with Clif Bar bikes. And in a society where 70% of workers stated that they were neither excited nor inspired by their work, Clif Bar’s ability to engage employees is incredibly meaningful and financially beneficial to the company. Engaged employees are more productive, take less days off, and according to studies produce greater returns to the company and shareholders. As Kevin Cleary, President of Clif Bar affirms, “An engaged, inspired and outrageously committed organization of people is not the outcome of a successful business, but it is actually the condition for creating it.”

According to a recent study, consumers view treatment of employees as the greatest indicator of a socially responsible company, and with 35%[1] of North Americans identifying themselves as conscious consumers, this small act of giving away bikes can offer huge dividends for Clif Bar. Furthermore, a recent Danish study concluded that children who walk or ride their bikes to school perform better on tasks involving concentration.  Clif Bar’s anniversary celebration extended far beyond merely giving bikes away. Rather, it was a brilliant strategy to develop more productive and engaged employees, while also marketing the brand as a company to both work for and buy from.  

            Similar to Clif Bar, at New Belgium Brewery every employee receives a new bike upon their one-year anniversary at the company. From the iconic red bike on their label, to the countless bike racks that surround the company’s headquarters in Fort Collins, Colorado; biking is integral to the culture at New Belgium Brewery. Along with creating healthy, happy engaged workers, the bike program at New Belgium Brewery has earned them the reputation as one of the world’s most sustainable beer companies, and most importantly, attracted the attention of thirsty conscious consumers. New Belgium Brewery has grown from its humble beginnings as a small basement-brewed beer to the nation’s seventh largest brewery.

            Today, VOX and the rest of the inhabitants of our building, 1909 K, will commemorate Earth Month with a “Bike to Work Day.” This simple event will not only provide exercise and a nice reprieve from the metro or the car, but as evidenced by Clif Bar and New Belgium Brewery, its benefits will go much further. Biking is no longer just the simple childhood act of getting from point A to point B, but a means for companies to engage employees and attract new revenue.

Ben Grimmig is an intern in VOX’s Washington, DC office.

One by one, corporate CEOs took to the stage to discuss their sustainability commitments and share industry trends. For example, McDonald spoke to Procter & Gamble’s goals to achieve 100% renewable energy, 100% use of renewable materials and zero waste to landfills.  Ackerson of General Motors shared that the new CAFÉ standard—55 miles per gallon by 2025—is driving the auto industry to achieve greater efficiencies by using a mix of engine technologies and by reducing the weight of cars and trucks.  And General Mills’ CEO focused on driving value and efficiencies throughout its supply chain, indicating that they will soon give preference to suppliers who make progress in reducing emissions and natural resource use.

Redefining customer consumption also generated a fair amount of discussion throughout the conference.  Company executives from Nike, IKEA and Patagonia spoke of the need to change customer behavior and redefine affluence in such a way that encourages use and reuse of products that have already been made.  Related, Roz Brewer, the CEO of Sam’s Club, mentioned that Wal-Mart will likely begin providing information to customers on the social and environmental impact of their products so that customers can potentially factor in this information before they purchase products.

While the conference had a significant amount of information to digest, there were two key trends of note that will impact nearly every U.S. based company in the coming years and where we work with clients to address the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Strain on Natural Resources

The global economy is beginning to reach a tipping point with natural resource use.  In less than 20 years, 3 billion more middle class consumers will emerge, stressing urban centers and their ability to provide basic services.  We’re beginning to see the impact today with the increasing demand for energy, water, food and materials.  The companies that participated in this conference have recognized this trend and have begun to transform so they can better compete in this emerging economy.  Their transformation will not be confined to their company alone, but will begin to extend throughout their supply chains.  Over the next three to five years, look for global companies to only do business with suppliers that meet specific energy and resource reduction targets.

The Emergence of the Conscious Consumer

The relationship between a company and its customers is changing.  A growing number of consumers are now aligning themselves with brands that share their values.  We call them “conscious consumers,” and they are market predictors who influence mainstream attitudes on a company’s reputation and the products or services it sells.  While consumers had previously only cared about finding products for the lowest price, consumers today care about the total value of the product – they want products that work well, cost less, last longer and have a limited impact on the environment.  It’s no longer the usual suspects like Ben and Jerry’s, Whole Foods and Patagonia who are acting consciously and looking to capture this market. It is mainstream companies like Procter & Gamble, General Mills, Nordstrom’s, Target and Wal-Mart as well.   

Brainstorm GREEN conferees focused on how best to provide social and environmental information to mainstream consumers. There are two primary reasons behind their desire to share this information with consumers—first, studies show that more consumers are factoring into their purchase decisions the social and environmental impact of products.  And second, call it “enlightened self-interest,” is very much tied to the coming strain on natural resources.  These companies know that they must also change customer behavior if they are going to successfully compete in this emerging economy, where companies and customers alike will do more with less. 

Over the past several years, we’ve heard lots of talk that “green is the new black.”  Soon, “less will be the new black.”

By high school I became familiar with the School Superintendent and School Board.  I could see they were making decisions that had an immediate impact on my daily life such as our school dress code, the cafeteria menu and the number of physical education and foreign language credits I needed to graduate.  I even lobbied the Leon County School Board myself on a proposal to raise property taxes to support local schools. (We desperately wanted air conditioning in my Florida high school!)

Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

From my current vantage point as the Education Practice Group Leader for a public affairs and communications firm in Washington, D.C., I know now that this small group of local players was but a fraction of the force plotting and planning my educational experience – and with good intentions.  Research shows that a solid educational experience is a factor in determining our long-term health and well-being.

Given the well-documented impact of education on our health and welfare, more and more players are getting in the act to shape education policy.  Beyond the local players, what goes on in our nations’ schools is shaped by an enormous and diverse set of decision-makers and influencers including politicians, philanthropists, academicians, unions, professional associations, judges, CEOs, and salesmen.

The Common Core Standards movement is a great example of this force.

Several years ago, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), which represents the secretaries of education from each state, and the National Governors Association (NGA) joined forces to develop and advocate for a consistent set of expectations for what K-12 students would achieve, with the goal of increasing career and college readiness and achieving some parity in educational experience as a child moved from one community to another.

While the CCSSO and NGA were the major forces driving the train, many other individuals and organizations invested their time, political clout and in some case financial resources in this ongoing endeavor.  For example:

• Numerous foundations have provided supportive grants for standards development and implementation including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the GE Foundation and the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.

• The Obama Administration crafted federal grant programs like Race to the Top  to reward those states that embraced the Common Core.

• Dozens of associations issued supportive statements including the teachers’ unions (NEA and AFT), the National PTA, the College Board, the Council of the Great City Schools, the American Council on Education, and the National School Boards Association.

• More than 70 CEOs signed an open letter supporting the Common Core.

This broad spectrum of supporters succeeded in securing adoption of the Common Core in 45 states and the District of Columbia.  While several states are rethinking their original enthusiasm for the standards, the train has generally left the station at full speed.

Whether you are for or against the concept of common achievement standards, or the specifics of implementation, you cannot underestimate the impact of this policy effort on every American child’s education. There is not a principal, teacher or School Board member who isn’t thinking about how instruction will be delivered in this new paradigm, especially since their personal evaluations are increasingly tied to student achievement.

And that’s just one aspect of what’s going on in education policy today.  From campus safety to online learning, immigration reform to funding for disadvantaged school districts and at-risk students, the volume of conversation about what happens when the child steps off the bus and onto the school grounds is deafening.

This is not meant to discourage advocates for other well-intentioned school based policies and programs.  But to have an effective voice, it is critical to understand the complex landscape of today’s education policy and the myriad outside influencers involved. Casting a wide net for allies and helping them see the benefits for their own organizations, as the backers of the Common Core did, is a good place to start.

This post first appeared on Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center for Human Needs blog.

AT&T’s commitment to establishing leadership in corporate citizenship, chronicled in this Forbesarticle, has been deliberate, consistent and sincere. Key to the success of AT&T’s CSR and Sustainability journey has been development of measurable goals tied directly to core business objectives – a process we’ve been thrilled to help guide. These goals have been championed day in and day out by CEO Randall Stephenson, Chief Sustainability Officer Charlene Lake, VP of Philanthropy & Sustainability Beth Shiroishi, and, perhaps most importantly, every AT&T employee who pledged to “Do One Thing” to improve themselves, their communities or the company. With 298 data points tracked by CR Magazine in their ranking process, this companywide engagement was imperative.

At every step of the way through AT&T’s ascent from No. 33 to No. 1 on the list, the committed team of VOX Global and Fleishman-Hillard has worked seamlessly to help the client achieve this success. We’ve been honored to collectively provide communications and partnership strategy, program management, creative direction and daily execution for a wide variety of programs and initiatives that drove this ranking including the development of the AT&T Aspire program – a signature initiative to increase high school graduation rates – and the It Can Wait campaign, that has amassed 1.3 million pledges to never text and drive.

Learn more about specific AT&T signature initiatives by visiting this award-winning Sustainability Report and reading Beth’s blog.

Congratulations to our client, and to all our colleagues across the VOX Global and Fleishman-Hillard network who have contributed to this important endeavor. NOTHING beats the thrill of being named No. 1.

Like millions of Americans, it takes thousands of gallons of water just to get me through my work day. There are the 30 gallons of water that went into making my cup of coffee and the 50 gallons it took to bring me my daily yogurt. Don’t get me started on the hundreds of gallons needed to make my dress or to support the hours I spend online.

As a society, we’re all starting to understand that we’re running out of water and that we, as Americans, use far more of it than the rest of the world. To address this, some companies, like my client AT&T, are changing the way they do business to reduce that water use.

Helping companies connect with their customers and the general public is a passion of mine – I firmly believe that the only way we can successfully do things like cutwater usage is to work directly with businesses and their consumers to find a solution. You’ll understand, then, why I fell into a bit of a #WorldWaterDay Twitter black hole, and why I was thrilled to see so many companies connecting to the public about water use.

My personal favorites come from Ford and Coca-Cola, both of whom have great stories to tell. I love seeing a company like

Ford set aggressive public goals and then communicate their progress toward those goals.

Coke’s posts include a mix of media – who doesn’t love a good infographic! — and content, all really engaging ways to connect to consumers. Beyond that, by aligning their social strategies with the World Wildlife Fund, Coke did what we always advise our clients to do: find a reputable third party to sing your praises for you:

These are just two examples of what we’re seeing all over the Internet today (the topic is trending!) – companies using the spark of a day to engage with the public in real conversation about sustainability initiatives. These posts aren’t relegated to a CSR-specific handle, they are happening in the mainstream feed of some of the world’s biggest companies. It’s through days like today that offer proof that we can all come together – companies, consumers, non-profits – to begin to make real change.

What is Climb for Kids, and how much money are you trying to raise?

Climb for Kids is an effort to raise $19,340 to help kids from low- and middle-income families across Indiana get to camp this summer. We set $19,340 as the goal because that’s the summit on Kilimanjaro and if we raise that much money, we can help send 100 kids to camp on full and partial scholarships. If all goes as planned, we will be on the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro on Feb. 15 or 16 and we are hoping to raise all the funds by then.

What inspired you to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro of all places?

Last January, I was in Haiti on a mission trip and we had to climb some major hills to get around. On one of those climbs, my friend (Scott) asked a few of us if we’d be interested in trying to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro with him. Since I’d weigh 400 pounds if I didn’t constantly have something to train for, I said YES.

The second part of the inspiration came from a friend of mine who thru hiked the Appalachian Trail last summer. He raised money through his hike to help build a new lodge at the summer camp I attended. I supported his fundraising effort and when he got back, we had dinner and he asked if I’d be interested in helping raise more money for the lodge. I told him that I wanted to help, but that I was most interested in getting scholarships to kids so they could go to camp. So, my trip will get them there and his trip helped give them a better place to stay.

What are you expecting along the way?

This may sound strange, but my favorite part of this trip has already happened. Several of my closest friends are doing this climb with me and we’ve been doing training hikes for the last nine months to prepare. Those hikes have been a ton of fun and we’ve included our wives and kids sometimes too. Being on the climb will be great, but the journey to get there has been pretty special.

How have you been preparing for this adventure and for how long?

Our office in Indianapolis is on the 20^th floor, so I’ve been climbing the stairs to work some days. I’ve also been outside hiking and inside on the treadmill and my bike trainer. Several of us just did a cold weather hiking/camping weekend and that was fun minus the 13 degree wind chill that we tried to sleep through.

What are you hoping to provide for the beneficiaries of your fundraising effort?

I made a lot of friends at camp and I grew in my faith from being away for a week each summer. My goal is to help give low-income kids from around Indiana the same opportunity. Every kid should have the chance to go to camp if that’s something they’re interested in doing.

Where can people go for more information?

http://www.facebook.com/climbforkids.mikemarker